Health officials urge precautions against mosquitoes

Ventura County health officials are urging the public to protect against mosquito bites by removing standing water from their property.

The warning comes as two non-native mosquito species, both of them invasive, were recently found in several places in California, officials said.

They are the Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito) and Aedes albopictus (Asian tiger mosquito) that have been known to carry several viruses, including Zika.

While many infected people show no symptoms of Zika, others suffer fever, red eyes, headaches and more. Some pregnant women with the virus have given birth to babies with microcephaly, or malformed brains.

Mosquito larvae develop in standing water, so anyone needing to store water in rain barrels or other containers for longer than a week should make sure they are mosquito-proof by covering all openings with tightly fitting lids or fine screen with mesh openings of one-sixteenth inch.

Mosquitoes can also spread the West Nile virus, which can infect birds as well as horses and humans. To report dead birds to the California Department of Public Health for West Nile virus testing, call 877-968-2473.

County staff can help in identifying mosquito species and other insects.